Sacred Heart College achieves 100% matric pass with multiple national top 1% performers

Sacred Heart College, a 101-year-old independent Catholic Marist school based in Observatory, north-east of Johannesburg, has announced exceptional results for its Class of 2025, with the cohort achieving a 100% matriculation pass rate and producing multiple top 1% national subject performers, reinforcing the school’s standing as a values-driven, academically rigorous institution in Gauteng.

The Class of 2025 achieved:

• 100% Matric Pass Rate
• 86 subject distinctions (80% and above)
• 86% Bachelor Pass Rate, qualifying for direct entry to degree studies
• 71% A–C Pass Rate, reflecting strong achievement in the 60–100% band
• Multiple Top 1% national subject results in the IEB National Senior Certificate examinations

These outcomes place Sacred Heart’s results well above national averages and reflect not only success in passing the National Senior Certificate (NSC) but also a high level of university readiness and academic mastery across the cohort.

Sacred Heart College is an Independent Examinations Board (IEB) school; its students write the IEB examinations, quality-assured bya Umalusi, the same statutory body responsible for overseeing public school examinations under the Department of Basic Education. The standards for a matric pass are therefore universal across public and independent schools, requiring students to pass at least six of seven subjects under nationally defined criteria.

A Bachelor’s pass, achieved by 86% of the cohort, represents the highest level of matric achievement and provides direct access to degree studies at universities and universities of technology. Similarly, the 71% A–C pass rate indicates that nearly three-quarters of the cohort achieved results in the 60–100% range, a strong indicator of academic quality rather than minimum compliance. Distinctions, awarded for subject results of 80% and above, significantly strengthen tertiary applications, APS scores and scholarship eligibility.

In addition to the cohort’s overall performance, Sacred Heart College is proud to recognise students who ranked in the top 1% of all candidates nationally in their respective subjects in the IEB National Senior Certificate examinations:

• English Home Language: Mukhethwa Nedohe; Deandré Mackay
• IsiZulu: Risuna Makhubele

Being placed in the top 1% nationally means these students achieved results higher than 99% of all candidates across South Africa in these subjects, a rare distinction that reflects exceptional academic ability, intellectual discipline and sustained commitment to mastery rather than short-term performance.

While the results themselves are noteworthy, Sacred Heart College has deliberately framed the Class of 2025’s achievement through its 2025 academic theme, “The Pursuit of Academic Mastery.” Rather than focusing solely on outcomes, the school emphasised growth, resilience, sustained understanding and ownership of learning.

“This cohort reminded us that academic success is not built on pressure or shortcuts,” said Mr Dhiraj Bharuth, Executive Head of Sacred Heart College. “Academic mastery is about depth, not speed, about understanding concepts, applying knowledge across contexts, and persevering when learning becomes difficult. These results reflect a journey shaped by effort, reflection and care.”

The Class of 2025 completed their schooling amid a demanding educational environment. Students navigated residual post-Covid learning gaps, increased curriculum and assessment intensity in senior grades, socio-economic pressures affecting concentration and resources, and the emotional demands of completing school in a rapidly changing world. The cohort also included students who joined Sacred Heart during high school, including students from Dominican Convent, each arriving with different learning histories and needs.

In response, Sacred Heart embedded the theme of academic mastery structurally rather than symbolically. Teaching and assessment placed a strong emphasis on process over last-minute performance, supported by regular diagnostic assessments, structured academic reflection, targeted subject support sessions, and cross-departmental collaboration to track student progress. Teachers functioned as mentors and academic guides, while leadership structures ensured consistent academic monitoring and emotional support.

Among the Class of 2025 are five standout students whose journeys reflect different expressions of academic mastery:

• Deandré Mackay, from Elands Park, one of the top achievers, earned seven distinctions while excelling academically, culturally and in sport.
• Mukhethwa Nedohe, from Houghton, a consistently high-achieving academic with strong cultural leadership, also earned seven distinctions.
• Nereece Pillay, from Mulbarton, joined Sacred Heart in Grade 9 and demonstrated sustained academic growth and leadership, earning six distinctions.
• Risuna Makhubele, from Alexandra, a scholarship student, embodied perseverance and growth against the odds, also achieving six distinctions.
• Ethan Fuchs, from Observatory, who chose to repeat Grade 11 to strengthen his academic foundation, achieved four distinctions and excelled in advanced mathematics and science.

Together, these students reflect a cohort notable for its diversity, including scholarship recipients and first-generation university candidates, for whom matric success represents a significant personal and family milestone.

According to Mr Bharuth, the Class of 2025 has helped shape Sacred Heart’s future academic strategy.

“These results validate our shift toward early intervention, process-driven learning and sustained support. They also strengthen our position as a school where academic excellence and humanity coexist - producing not only results, but reflective, resilient, university-ready young adults.”

Sacred Heart College’s message to parents, students and the broader education sector is clear: true academic success is achieved through purpose, partnership and the pursuit of mastery - not pressure alone.